Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - The Night Villa

The Night Villa
The Night Villa
Author: Carol Goodman
An evocative tale of intrigue, romance, and treachery, Carol Goodman’s spellbinding new novel, The Night Villa, follows the fascinating lives of two remarkable women centuries apart. The eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 buried a city and its people, their treasures and secrets. Centuries later, echoes of this disaster reso...  more »
Info icon
ISBN-13: 9780345479600
ISBN-10: 0345479602
Publication Date: 8/26/2008
Pages: 416
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 65

3.8 stars, based on 65 ratings
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

farah avatar reviewed The Night Villa on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Goodman's character's deeply woven pasts always tell a haunting tale full of imagery. The past and present is sensory and immediate. The mystery is in not only with the present characters, but also in the story of people dead for two thousand years, who also had their own mythology believed to be true. By far the best of the three I have read: Lake of Dead Languages (second favorite) and The Seduction of Water.
reviewed The Night Villa on + 26 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I loved this book. It was colorful, I could smell the smells, see the sparkle on the bay of Naples, taste the dust in the tunnels of the Night Villa. The ending was twisty and very satisfying. I'll be reading more Carol Goodman!
Shellaree avatar reviewed The Night Villa on + 270 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
An interesting book with secret rooms, unknown attackers, cults, ancient rites and excavations. So a lot to offer in a book. At times, it gets a bit muddy when she is talking about her feelings and dreams, but over all intersting and keeps you guessing until the last chapter.
bothrootes avatar reviewed The Night Villa on + 207 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I really had a hard time getting through this one. I would not recommend it unless you are into scholarly looks into Greek literature. It was really dull.
reviewed The Night Villa on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Started this at the beach and became enthralled. In fact, the last third of the book had me asking the hubby to watch the tot so I could finish. Admittedly, I was worried at first that it would require me to remember a lot from Ulysses, but that didn't pan out. Familiarity with some of the classics does help, but is certainly not required.

There were times in the first 100 pages that I wondered if I wanted to continue. If you feel this way, please be patient. The first third of the book is really setting the stage for the remainder. The plot has plenty of twists and the ending did wrap up somewhat unexpectedly (which is good, I hate it when I figure it all out and then have no real reason to read to the end).
Read All 8 Book Reviews of "The Night Villa"


Genres: